Puerto Rico Criminal Justice Essay - 1959 Words

As a republic, Puerto Rico has a government that exercises political control over its citizens. As with any republic, a social contract exists between government and citizens in which citizens give up certain freedoms in order to enjoy the protection and comforts that a functioning government can provide. As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico shares our three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. Focusing on the judicial branch, one must look at the criminal justice system, which consists of policing, courts and corrections. Criminal justice is a system comprised of government institutions and practices that serve to provide social control through deterrence, sanctions and rehabilitation. In Puerto Rico, a Bill of†¦show more content†¦Amendment Six ensures â€Å"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury†¦and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.† (Taiwan Civil Government) These rights are incorporated in Puerto Rico through Article II, Section 11. Finally, Amendment Eight prohibits the infliction of cruel and unusual punishments which translates in Article II, Section twelve of the Puerto Rico Constitution. The foremost aspect of the criminal justice system consists of policing, without which courts and corrections would have no purpose. The Puerto Rico Police, or Policà ­a de Puerto Rico, have island-wide jurisdiction and are often referred to as La Uniformada (theShow MoreRelatedThe Territorial Status Of Puerto Rico1407 Words   |  6 Pagesof a hidden divide present in the Western world is the territorial status of Puerto Rico. Despite American ownership of the island, Puerto Rican citizens are not granted the same rights and privileges as citizens of the 50 states. Despite Puerto Rico’s long American history and attempts to gain statehood status, Puerto Ricans are still treated differently by the federal government. This ought to be changed. 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Sounds like a fantasy right? TheTaino Indian tribe was the first citizens to live in Puerto Rico around 1000 AD; however, on Christopher Columbus second journey to the lands in 1493, he claims Puerto Rico for Spain and renamed it as San Juan Bautista. Christopher Columbus and Juan Ponce de Leon demanded the Tainos to perform forced labor and no pay in the gold mines. The colonists soon begin toRead MoreEssay Homicide in Puerto Rico2720 Words   |  11 PagesHOMICIDE IN PUERTO RICO Table of Contents Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 Statement of the problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 Social Disorganization Theory of Crime†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 The Social Learning Theory of Crime†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Abstract In recent years Puerto Rico has shown staggering homicide rates, establishing the cause(s) for this development would be the first step in resolving the dilemma. Researching anRead MorePuerto Rico: Limited Jurisdiction Courts2967 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿Introduction Puerto Rico has already developed a system of courts that is very similar to that of most states in the U.S., including municipal courts that have been merged with the court of first instance, an intermediate appellate court and a supreme court. Almost every state now has these four levels of courts, and the recent trend has included merging the municipal or limited jurisdiction courts with the general jurisdiction courts, and requiring their judges to be trained lawyers. UnlikeRead MorePolitical and Economic System1250 Words   |  5 Pagesbased on the structure of the government. The economic issues can impact the society based on how the government decides to deal with it. I also had to compare and contrast the current economic and political issue in my country of origin which is Puerto Rico to Spain’s economic and political issue. 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